Because Black History Month is 28 days long (not just on Feb. 1, when white people notice everyone tweetstorming about it), one woman has been posting a photo every day to teach her daughter—and to remind the rest of us—of the black sheroes we should be grateful for.
To make the learning more adorable, Cristi Smith-Jones has been dressing and posing her 5-year-old daughter Lola as all the greats.
Doing a Black History Month photo project w/ my 5 y.o. One photo recreated of one incredible black woman every day in Feb. This was Day 1. pic.twitter.com/I40PEZklO2
— Cristi Smith-Jones *Order ‘That They Lived’!* (@MsKittiFatale) February 3, 2017
Lola takes on historical figures from abolitionist Harriet Tubman and the first black congresswoman, Shirley Chisolm, to artists and activists like scholar Angela Davis, author Toni Morrison, and ballerina Misty Copeland.
Day 2 of Black History Month photo project with my 5 y.o. Thank you, @mistyonpointe for being such an inspiration. pic.twitter.com/Php6F5pa8R
— Cristi Smith-Jones *Order ‘That They Lived’!* (@MsKittiFatale) February 3, 2017
Day 3 of Black History Month photo project w/ my 5 y.o. #mayaangelou #phenomenalwoman #blackhistorymonth #blackgirlsrock pic.twitter.com/53doaF5Ydm
— Cristi Smith-Jones *Order ‘That They Lived’!* (@MsKittiFatale) February 3, 2017
Day 9. Black History Month photo project. 1st black woman elected to Congress & to run for POTUS for the Democratic Party. #shirleychisholm pic.twitter.com/G18eI0GaDW
— Cristi Smith-Jones *Order ‘That They Lived’!* (@MsKittiFatale) February 9, 2017
Day 10. Black History Month photo project. #RosaParks #blackhistorymonth #blackgirlsrock #blackhistoryisamericanhistory #blackgirlmagic pic.twitter.com/dxFdOTiSlQ
— Cristi Smith-Jones *Order ‘That They Lived’!* (@MsKittiFatale) February 10, 2017
Day 13. Black History Month photo project. #angeladavis #blackhistorymonth #blackgirlsrock #blackhistoryisamericanhistory pic.twitter.com/o5bYVN95hn
— Cristi Smith-Jones *Order ‘That They Lived’!* (@MsKittiFatale) February 13, 2017
Smith-Jones told Mashable that Lola has loved the experience of being transformed “into women who have opened doors and created opportunities for girls just like her.” Smith-Jones said that Josephine Baker made Lola “feel confident,” but Rosa Parks was her favorite because “she was very brave.”
“She’ll be able to look back at them years from now, and hopefully have fond memories, and still feel empowered,” Smith-Jones said. “Because I want her to learn more about black history than just those we feature, we talk about other significant figures, watch movies and videos online, things of that nature.”
In case you need another dose of #blackgirlmagic, photographer Marc Bushelle created a similar series called “The Heroines Project” in 2015.
H/T Mashable
